


Room for One More?

by elephant_bubbles



Series: Donor AU/Gay Moms series [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Babies, F/F, Gay Moms Lissa and Maribelle, Graduation, Middle School, Modern AU, Moving, Pregnancy, and introducing baby [name redacted] as OC, middle school age Brady and Owain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2018-12-24 02:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12002706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elephant_bubbles/pseuds/elephant_bubbles
Summary: With Brady about to finish up middle school and Owain just starting it, Lissa and Maribelle decide to try for one more baby. The threequel of ’One in a Million’, and sequel of ’And Owain Makes Four’!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: And here’s the third story in this series! This one takes place a few years after the ending of ’And Owain Makes Four’, and will introduce an OC child and sibling for the family (they’re actually my friend’s OC, who she let me use for this story). Special thanks to my friend for permission to use her OC, who we’ve both absolutely fallen in love with from all the conversations, and to anyone who’s followed the series to here, or are just a curious reader. You guys are great. c:

* * *

The end of August was bittersweet. Sure, it brought the promise of slightly cooler weather, which was a relief, but it also brought the new school year with it. For some kids this was a good thing; summer break was nice, but when they were in school, there was a schedule, a routine to follow, which some needed. Brady was the kid who liked the routine, while Owain preferred summer, but once they had been in school for a while, he didn’t mind it as much.

As per tradition, the boys were preparing to go school shopping, even if they had left it for the last day of summer break, September fifth, to Maribelle’s slight dismay. At least they were doing it, though, she finally reasoned, and had gotten them up bright and early and ready in record time before Frederick was due to arrive to take them. Normally, she and Lissa took them and they made it a family trip (usually stopping for a nice lunch afterwards), but this year it had worked out that Frederick had agreed to. Plus, she had nonchalantly told them that she and Lissa had some business to attend to that they were being awfully secret about. As much as the boys (or more specifically, Owain) pried, he just couldn’t get an answer out of either of his mothers.

“Now, I know that you’re now considered to be with the group of students who rule the school, but please don’t let that distract you from following your list and getting things that will actually be useful for your last year of middle school, alright?” Maribelle instructed, as she fussed with Brady’s troublesome shirt collar for the third time that morning.

“It won’t Ma, don’t worry,” Brady assured her, as he let her fuss with his clothes. “I’ll get what I need.”

Maribelle was so distracted with giving instructions that she didn’t even hear him call her the name she usually turned her nose up at.

“And your brother will get things that will be useful for his first year of middle school. That means no items that could possibly get confiscated or get you into trouble, right, Owain?” Maribelle asked, with more inflection on the first part of her sentence to get his attention.

The younger boy, who’d been looking in the mirror to try to fix his olive-green hair from its current slicked back style into his familiar spikes again from having Maribelle attempt to brush it, perked up at hearing his name. “I’m over that, don’t you worry, dear mother. Sixth grader Owain won’t mess around in class like fifth grader Owain did.”

Maribelle hmphed, finally seeming content with how Brady’s shirt looked. “Owain dear, I do love you, but I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Owain made a quick face into the mirror at her comment, before turning back to Brady and Maribelle. “Why do we always have to get dressed up to go school shopping? We’re just going to the store.”

“Because personal appearance is important, especially if you run into potential classmates and staff who also saved their school shopping for the last day before school starts, as well,” Maribelle answered, and Lissa giggled at the boys’ shared look at that comment, just as she came to join them in the living room by the door.

“Listen to her, guys, she knows what she’s talking about,” Lissa said, before continuing. “Okay, Frederick will be here any minute to pick you guys up, and I know you both already will be and totally always are, but you’ve got to be on your best behaviors while you’re out with him.”

She looked to Owain more at this comment, who had quickly dropped the face he’d made to look innocently at her. “Got it?”

Both Brady and Owain assured her they did, and Lissa resisted ruffling Owain’s hair that he’d just gotten back to its spiked look.

“Dearest mother, can’t you please tell us what you guys are doing now that’s so important?” Owain asked as a change of subject, but Lissa just shook her head.

“It’s a mom thing,” she replied coolly with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Only between your mom and I.”

“That’s right,” Maribelle added quickly, shooting a wink to Lissa over the boys’ heads.

Owain was about to ask what that meant, but was interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. A moment later, Frederick opened it. He was met with the two boys at the door, who were eager to leave (mostly to get it over with so they had the rest of the evening to get ready for the fabled first day of middle school tomorrow).

“Ready, boys?” Frederick asked, getting two nods in response. He nodded back to them, before looking up to Lissa and Maribelle. “I won’t return them too late, but I was considering the three of us could have that special late lunch or early dinner after shopping that you normally do on this day.”

“That works, we wouldn’t want to break a tradition,” Lissa quickly answered for them, and Frederick nodded.

“Thank you, Frederick,” Maribelle said, before looking to the boys again, both grinning excitedly from Frederick’s proposed dinner idea. “Only the essentials,” she gently reminded them, and they both nodded again. They left a moment later, and Maribelle turned back to Lissa, clapping her hands together.

“Now that they’ve left, it’s finally time.”

Lissa nodded excitedly, going over to the table, Maribelle meeting her there a moment later. She opened her laptop, and the computer quickly woke back up, right where they’d left it the previous night.

That familiar donor website, where the specifics had already been worked out, and a few tabs were already open.

“Last night was a close call with the boys almost seeing what we were doing,” Lissa said with a sigh, before grinning. "But I’m so excited that we decided to do this again!"

“I know,” Maribelle said happily, before looking to Lissa with a serious look. “But as of right now, we are one hundred percent sure we still want to?”

Lissa nodded. “I think so, so all those late night talks and planning weren’t for nothing.”

Maribelle nodded back. “You’re right. And I think I’m glad we decided to wait. This timing now just seems right. The boys will be old enough to appreciate a sibling, hopefully.”

“Yeah,” Lissa agreed. “Hopefully like you said, though, it’d be a girl this time. Not that a little brother for them wouldn’t be good, too, but...”

“I know. I just love the idea of them getting to love and protect a younger sister, though,” Maribelle agreed with a nod, before they were back to looking at the page they had up. This was one of the donors they had seen back when they were trying to have Owain.

“I mean, he may have a weird sense of humor, but other than that he looks really good,” Lissa commented with a shrug. “I like that he’s optimistic.”

“He does seem good,” Maribelle agreed. “We could keep his page up.”

She went to the next tab, and they found another of the ones from back then.

“Heh, Mr. More Brawn than Brain,” Lissa giggled at the next page. “I still don’t know how that’s convinced any women to have his children.”

“Apparently it’s convinced three people,” Maribelle said, pointing to a small chart under the man’s picture, the reported number of successful pregnancies and births.

“Wait, if that’s a thing, go back to the first one’s page!” Lissa said quickly, taking control of the laptop. She located the number for the first donor, and gasped.

“Huh, I wonder if that’s a new thing they put on these,” she wondered aloud, and Maribelle shrugged. “Looks like he’s got...five potential children somewhere. Mr. Popular.”

“Let’s keep that in mind,” Maribelle said, taking the laptop over again after a moment. “Like we’ve talked about, I’d like to find someone with preferably a light hair color, since both the boys have dark hair.”

“As long as you don’t get as picky for a donor as the first time when we were having Brady,” Lissa teased.

“I won’t,” Maribelle assured her, “but I’d like to give our potential future child, daughter, if I may be so hopeful, a chance to have beautiful hair like her mothers’.”

Lissa laughed. “I totally get it. I want that for her, too. If it is a girl, that is.”

They quickly narrowed it down to two candidates, the pickings slim for light-colored hair matches.

“Okay, so optimistic child, or brawny child?” Lissa joked, as Maribelle rested her head on the back of her hand and stared at the webpage, deep in thought.

“I kind of really am leaning towards optimistic child,” Maribelle said after a long moment, reaching for the mouse with her free hand and clicking back onto his page. She scrolled to the successful pregnancies and births information, before perking up.

“His numbers are higher than the others, though I’m aware that might not be a very helpful indicator since all women are different in regards to pregnancy success,” she said, turning to Lissa. “But what do you think?”

Lissa nodded in agreement. “If you’re happy with him, I am too.”

Maribelle turned back to the computer, nodding. “Alright then, it’s settled. Let me just jot his number down and we can make the necessary appointments. Hopefully something will be available for today, before the boys return home.”

Lissa bounced in her seat excitedly at this, before turning back to Maribelle. “And you’re sure you’re alright with being the pregnant one again?”

Maribelle nodded once she’d written the man’s information down. “My pregnancy with Brady was a breeze, and I have no doubts that it would be the same with this one.”

“Hopefully our daughter, but either would be great as long as it’s healthy,” Lissa said, grasping Maribelle’s hand. She took it and squeezed it back in confirmation, before the both went off to get themselves ready to go.

* * *

Everyone settled into the new school routine fairly quickly. Owain adjusted to the periodical switching of classes throughout the day, and Brady fell into the groove of being at the ’top’ of the school among his classmates. The boys stayed on top of homework and balanced school and home life, even though that home life was about to change.

A little after a month into the new school year on a morning not much different than it had been for the past few years, Lissa woke the children up and Maribelle prepared the breakfasts. This morning though, it took Maribelle more time than usual to cook, as she found herself feeling slightly off that particular morning. Particularly because of the smells of the breakfast items she was cooking, bacon and eggs. She tried to remain composed as Lissa and the boys joined her in the kitchen for breakfast, and managed to for exactly thirty seconds before she couldn’t take the smell of the frying foods anymore.

“Lissa, please take over with the cooking, I’ll be right- er, right back,” Maribelle managed, covering her mouth with her hand before dashing off into the other room. Lissa jumped up to take over at the stove, before suddenly realizing what Maribelle’s sudden disappearance could have meant. She contained her little squeal of excitement as she started poking at the breakfast with a spatula.

“Is Ma alright?” Brady asked worriedly, both of the boys having seen what happened, and looking confused over it. Lissa turned from the stove to them, biting her lip and trying to decide what to say. Her face quickly cleared and she nodded.

“I bet she’s just forgot something from our room, like her phone,” Lissa played it off with a shrug. “Who’s ready for breakfast?”

At the confirmation from both Brady and Owain being ready, she served the boys their breakfasts, and they dug in, and Lissa took that opportunity to check on Maribelle. She found her in the bathroom sitting on the edge of the tub, looking somewhat disheveled, but smiling despite it. Her bout of sickness seemed to be over already.

“So?” Lissa whispered, and Maribelle nodded.

“I think so,” she confirmed. “But don’t say anything to the boys or get too excited.”

Lissa nodded. “I’ll take you to the doctor right after we drop the boys off today.”

Maribelle nodded back. “Are the boys alright? Did they ask?”

“I just told them you probably forgot something from our room, and luckily the food was nearly ready, so I served them and they didn’t ask anything else,” Lissa said.

“Good thinking,” Maribelle replied. “I think we should go back now, so they don’t worry too much.”

“Are you feeling okay to go back?” Lissa asked, and Maribelle nodded, confirming her bout of sickness had passed. “Alright. Just be careful getting up.”

“I’m not made of glass,” Maribelle said gently, as Lissa wrapped her arms around her in a quick hug.

“But you could be carrying precious cargo now,” Lissa replied, sticking her tongue out at Maribelle, who leaned in to kiss the tip of Lissa’s nose. Lissa helped Maribelle to standing, and they headed back to the kitchen together.

“Hey, Ma, are you okay?” Brady asked upon the girls’ return to the kitchen, and Maribelle nodded as she and Lissa settled in their spots around the table.

“I’m swell, thank you, Brady,” Maribelle said, shooting Lissa a secret look across the table. Lissa winked back at her, covering a giggle with her hand. “Now, what’s on the agenda for you both at school today?”

“I have a big day today,” Owain announced. “We have our first test in English class, today.”

“And you’re all set for it, right?” Lissa asked, and he nodded. “Good. How about you, Brady? What are you doing today?”

“We gotta run the mile in PE today,” Brady said with a slight scowl. “I hate runnin’ it.”

“It’s ’we have to’, not ’we gotta’,” Maribelle gently corrected him, making his scowl deepen a bit. “But it’ll be alright, dear. Running is good for you.”

“I guess,” Brady replied with a sigh, poking at his breakfast with his fork. “And at least it’s early in the day.”

They continued eating and then getting ready for school, and they left the house promptly at half past seven. Once the drop-off was complete, the girls headed to the doctor.

Neither could contain their excitement over the grainy sonogram picture which held the tiny and barely visible proof of their third child that they got less than an hour later, especially later in the day once the boys came home from school and they couldn’t tell them just yet. Lissa found it hardest not to tell, but stayed quiet even when the boys asked about her excited giggling fits when she was around Maribelle.

“Nothing, I just love your mom so much and love being around her!” Lissa would reply, and the boys bought it, knowing already of their mothers’ love.

But finally, once school broke for a week for the Thanksgiving holiday, it was decidedly time for the big reveal (sure, it was still a bit early, but Maribelle felt like she was close enough to being at the three months’ mark that it was safe).

Thanksgiving day found the little family plus Frederick all gathered around the kitchen table, the work from them all day creating a feast fit for a kingdom that covered nearly every square inch of the table. Frederick said the grace that Maribelle insisted (for once, and for a very special reason) on, before they all dug in.

A little into the meal, under the table, Lissa grasped Maribelle’s hand and squeezed, and Maribelle nonchalantly gave her a nod, before they both caught the attention of everyone presently seated.

“So we’ve been thinking, and we really want your guys’ opinion. Do you think there’s room for one more family member around here?” Lissa asked, trying hard to keep her voice steady at what she was saying.

“One more family member, like a dog?” Owain asked quickly and excitedly, dropping his full fork onto his plate with a clatter. He’d been pushing for them to get a dog for ages.

Lissa and Maribelle shared a look between themselves, before Maribelle answered.

“One more like...a sibling?” she asked, and the boys both gasped. Even Frederick looked shocked at the announcement.

“Are you…?” he began, and Maribelle nodded across the table at him.

“Almost three months,” she replied, grinning and placing her free hand on her stomach, which was still flat enough to not reveal her pregnancy  just yet.

“You’re pregnant, Ma?” Brady asked, quickly picking up on the indications. “We’re really gonna have a sibling?”

“That’s right,” Maribelle confirmed, and Brady’s lower lip trembled at the news.

“So no dog, then?” Owain asked jokingly, and Lissa shook her head at him. “That’s fine, a younger sibling sounds even better, anyway! This is great news.”

“Do you know what it is?” Brady asked, and Maribelle shook her head.

“Not yet, darling, it’s still too early,” she said. “But we'll definitely find out at one of the many upcoming appointments.”

“It’d be fun to find out as a family!” Lissa piped up excitedly. “Maybe you boys can come along to the appointment, and Frederick, too!”

The boys quickly agreed to going, but Frederick shook his head politely at the offer.

“It’s something for you all to find out, but you can tell me directly after,” he said.

“Then it’s settled,” Maribelle said. “We’ll find out together, as immediate family.”

“Is there any way you’re leaning more towards?” Frederick asked. Lissa and Maribelle shared another look between themselves.

“Well, admittedly, we’re both kind of hoping this one will be a girl,” Maribelle said. “So the boys can have a younger sister to love and protect.”

Frederick nodded. “A girl would definitely mix things up a bit.”

“That’s another reason,” Lissa said with a nod. “But honestly, as long as it’s healthy, we don’t really mind either way.”

“That’s right," Maribelle agreed, with a small squeeze of Lissa’s hand. “We’re just so lucky to be having another.”

The rest of the dinner was spent with everyone talking excitedly about the baby, before dessert was served and everyone fell into the fabled Thanksgiving food comas.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N** : And here we are again, the second chapter! Finally gonna get to see what this baby is and what their name is, as well (I’ve been waiting to namedrop since early June when I officially started writing this)! 
> 
> Thanks to anyone reading this, or who made it this far. Sorry for the long time between updates, but school (ugh). Enjoy!

* * *

The next appointment was scheduled for about a month later, just about a week before Christmas. School had broken again for the holiday break, so the boys would no doubt get to come along to it. By then, everyone was even more on board about a new baby. Brady and Owain, while wanting to honor their mothers’ wishes and hopes for a girl, secretly talked among themselves about the possibilities of having a little brother. Maribelle on the other hand, talked endlessly about still having a girl, as if the more she talked about it, the more likely it would possibly happen.

Finally, though, this question would be answered.

The morning of the appointment, despite it being a Saturday, Maribelle was up bright and early. She spent the time waiting for the others to get up sitting at the kitchen table with her usual cup of tea, reading the newspaper and absently rubbing a hand across her now slightly curved stomach and muttering things to herself and the baby.

She had nearly finished reading the whole newspaper by the time Lissa eventually joined her in the kitchen, still sleepy and in her oversized yellow sleeping shirt. Upon seeing Maribelle sitting there, she suddenly remembered what day it was, perking up immediately.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot,” she said, as she came over behind Maribelle’s chair. “It’s a very important day today.”

She wrapped herself around her wife’s shoulders, one of her hands coming down Maribelle’s side to her stomach, gently rubbing. Maribelle’s hand caught Lissa’s and held it in place, just on the side of her belly, and she looked up to kiss her.

“That’s right,” Maribelle said. “And the quicker we get the boys up and ready, the quicker we can see what our baby is. Would you go and wake them today, my love?”

Lissa nodded, pulling away from Maribelle. It was always a thing to wake the boys for school, but today would definitely be easier considering the circumstances. She gently pried herself away from Maribelle, pausing to stretch before exiting the kitchen once more, off to wake the boys. Maribelle leaned back in her chair, looking down to her stomach once more.

“I really hope you’re a girl,” she whispered, for what had to the be at least the tenth time that morning.

The morning moved quickly after that, with the boys being compliant about waking up for once, and they made it to Maribelle’s appointment early. The sonogram technician greeted them after Maribelle’s name had been called, and Lissa and Maribelle quickly recognized her. She’d been the same one who had informed the women what both Brady and Owain had been (she especially remembered Owain’s reveal), and was excited to be with them through this third one.

“I can still remember how excited you both were the first time we met and we discovered you both were pregnant,” she said for smalltalk, as she set things up for the check. Maribelle was laying on the table, Lissa was standing at her side and holding her hand, and the boys were standing a bit off to the side of the room to not be in the way of things.

“They were both very exciting days,” Maribelle agreed. “And now they’re right over there, our big boys.”

Brady and Owain waved slightly awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond at the tech’s friendly greeting.

“So now we’re trying to see how number three is?” the tech asked, as she got the machine ready.

“That too, but more specifically,  _ what _ number three is,” Maribelle said. “If that's possible.”

The technician nodded. “Let me see what I can do for you about that. I think you’re far enough for me to make a pretty accurate guess, but it really depends if the baby’s in a good position right now.”

“Please, little one, I’m simply  _ dying _ to see what you are,” Maribelle said, more to herself and the baby, as she lifted her shirt to reveal her curved stomach, and the tech put the special gel onto her. She then brought the little machine’s wand over, and started the exam. Almost immediately the baby’s heartbeat could be heard, which was a relieving sound.

“Heartbeat is nice and strong,” the tech commented at the sound. “That’s a great sign.” 

“Come over and see your sibling, guys, it’s amazing,” Lissa said, and Brady and Owain tentatively came over so they could see. Though there really  wasn’t much to see, tiny, flickering movements could still be seen on the screen.

“It’s pretty active, whatever it is,” the technician said with a thoughtful nod. “Though you probably can’t feel it too much just yet…”

“Is it in a good position?” Maribelle asked hopefully, and the tech nodded.

“Let me just...okay, here we go,” she said a moment later. They couldn’t personally tell what they were looking at, but the professional apparently knew. She squinted at the screen, moving the wand across Maribelle’s stomach in a straight line. “It looks to me like it’s a…”

They all held their breaths, no one else more than Maribelle, though. The room got so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even with the sound of the baby’s heartbeat.

“Girl.”

At the announcement she’d been hoping for, Maribelle brought her free hand up over her mouth to cover an excited squeal, while Lissa’s free hand clapped over Maribelle’s in an equal amount of excitement. The technician laughed.

“I take it that’s what you two were hoping for,” she said, smiling. “Now remember, that’s just a guess, but I’m almost a hundred percent sure, since I’ve been doing this for a while and know what babies look like. I can completely confirm it at the next appointment, though.”

Maribelle nodded, trying to hold her excitement back just a bit. “But it really does look like a girl?”

“From the way it’s developing, yes,” the tech said with a nod. “There’s only a few tiny differences between boys and girls at this gestational age, but this one is showing the signs for a girl.”

“Looks like you got your wish,” Lissa said, squeezing Maribelle’s hand a bit. “We’re getting our daughter, and the boys are getting a sister.”

“Are you guys excited?” the tech asked, nodding to the boys, who’d taken in the news quietly.

“I’m pretty excited,” Brady said. “Ma’s got her wish, and that makes me happy, too.”

“Yeah,” Owain agreed. “We’ll have that darling little sister to protect!”

“We should celebrate,” Lissa said, as the tech finished up the exam. “After this, let’s go out for some milkshakes or something.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Maribelle said with a nod.

With their few new pictures of the baby and the knowledge of what it most likely was, they left the appointment in happy spirits, none of them more happy than Maribelle, though. They didn’t often go out and get fast food, Maribelle adhering to serving her family a healthy diet, but today was of course a special occasion, and the boys were excited about that. Even Maribelle seemed to be excited about it, especially for the milkshakes. Lissa let her finish hers up, but in return stole a few of Maribelle’s fries, while the boys both finished up their meals.

Almost immediately once they were home, Maribelle called and informed Frederick of the news and promised to show him the new pictures next time he visited.

Christmas and the New Year passed eventfully, and spirits were high about what was to come that new year. In fact, shortly into it when Maribelle had another appointment (thought it was just her and Lissa there this time, since the boys had gone back to school), her wishes were confirmed; now that the baby was a bit bigger (and this time in a slightly better position), the technician was sure that it was a girl.

“Like I said, I’m pretty good at guessing what babies are,” she said after Lissa’s excited squeal at the news, even though they’d all gotten into the habit of calling the baby a girl by now. “Let me print you some more pictures of her.”

“It almost looks like she’s waving,” Maribelle commented, pointing at the screen. The tiny limbs were now visible, along with the temporarily disproportionate sized head.

“It does,” the tech agreed. “I’m sure you can feel her moving now, without seeing her on the screen. Very soon the other members of the family should be able to feel her, too.”

“I can’t wait to feel her! That was one of my favorite parts, feeling the baby move. Both when I was the pregnant one and when she was and Brady would kick and move around,” Lissa said, squeezing Maribelle’s hand gently.

“And talking to them to see if they kick for you,” Maribelle said. “Or in Brady’s case, actually deciding that he was ready to come out.”

“Oh yeah, maybe that’ll work with her when it’s time, too!” Lissa said excitedly.

“We’ll have to see,” Maribelle said, and Lissa nodded.

Afterwards, since they had been waiting to absolutely confirm the baby’s gender before going out to buy any new baby things, they made a quick stop to a small boutique for baby clothes. The only problem with making this stop was going to be not to get too carried away, which was easier said than done. Especially after seeing all the adorable dresses offered for little girls.

“Um, Maribelle, maybe this is enough,” Lissa said, finally, after a while. A shopping basket stood between them, filled with various cute onesies and a couple dresses.

“I think you’re right,” Maribelle agreed, trying to peel herself away from her newest find, a small purple frilly dress.

“There’s still a lot of time before she comes, but I think this is a good start,” Lissa said, nodding to the basket, and Maribelle nodded. “Also, it’s almost time for the boys to be picked up from school.”

“Oh dear, we did let time slip away,” Maribelle said, replacing the dress on its hanger and returning that to the rack. “Alright, let’s- oh!”

Lissa immediately stood up from picking the basket up at Maribelle’s little gasp to find her holding a hand over her now more obviously pregnant stomach. “What? What is it?”

“She...quickly, put your hand on my stomach and try to see if you can feel her,” she said, reaching for Lissa’s hand. She placed it where she had felt the little movement, and Lissa stayed there for a moment, but shook her head.

“Nope, I can’t feel her,” she said, frowning.

“Just wait,” Maribelle said. “Talk to her.”

“Baby, are you there?” Lissa asked, moving her hand around the spot a bit, before pulling back.

“I swear she did it, and it was one that you probably could have felt,” Maribelle said, the excitement fading a bit.

“I believe you,” Lissa said quickly. “Let’s try when we get home, it’s a bit distracting in here right now.”

Maribelle nodded, and they went to check out.

Back home once everyone was settled, Maribelle and Lissa shared the new sonogram pictures with the boys, who were as eager as they were about hearing confirmations about their sibling.

“It’s a girl, for sure,” Lissa confirmed, spreading the pictures across her and Maribelle’s bed, where they all had gathered for the reveal. The bags of new clothes sat to the side, for sharing after the pictures.

“Aw, our little sister,” Brady said, picking up the closest photo to him, the one where it looked like she was waving.

“We hope you both are excited about that,” Maribelle piped up, and got nods from the boys.

“Now we’ll have someone to love and protect from the evil in the world,” Owain proclaimed, leaning over to look at the picture that Brady was holding. “Little sister- er, what’s her name?”

Lissa and Maribelle shared a look.

“We...haven’t actually got one for her yet,” Lissa said. “We’ve never had to name a girl before, but since both of you guys’ names came to us pretty easily, so maybe hers will, too.”

“We are open to suggestions though, so if you guys can think of anything, feel free to let us know,” Maribelle said.

Owain pondered for a moment, before something came to him. “Ophelia?”

Lissa and Maribelle thought about it for a moment.

“That’s cute, we can definitely keep it in mind,” Lissa said with a nod, as Brady replaced the picture on the bed. “Ooh, want to see the clothes we found for her today?”

They both nodded, and Lissa grabbed the bag. She spread a few of the little outfits out on the bed.

“Maybe seeing clothes will help inspire a name or something,” Maribelle said. “Oh, do show them the one you found first, Lissa.”

“Oh yeah,” Lissa said. She searched the bag for it, before finding it on the bottom of the bag. Without revealing anything, she unfolded it, and turned it around slowly for the boys to see.

‘ _ I have Two Moms who Love Me _ !’ the onesie proclaimed in rainbow font across the front.

“We were trying to find one for you guys too, like a siblings one, but couldn’t find anything,” Lissa said after a moment. “But there’s still time.”

“It’s really cute,” Brady said, admiring the little piece of clothing. “She’ll look really cute in it.”

“Most definitely,” Owain agreed.

“Today was a pretty good day,” Lissa said, refolding the onesie and putting it back in the bag, before starting to do the same with the others.

“It was,” Maribelle agreed, settling back comfortably onto her pillow. “But now I’d just like to relax and read this week’s chapter in the baby book to get a refresher about what our little darling is going to develop and learn. It was a pretty tiring day.”

Lissa jumped up, having finished folding the clothes, and grabbed the book from her side table by the bed, having spent a bit of last night randomly flipping through it, before handing it to Maribelle. She settled back in onto the bed next to her, collecting the pictures back up to look at again.

“I should probably go start on homework now,” Owain said, standing and stretching his arms. “I’ve got another test tomorrow in English class. Coming, Brady?”

“In a minute,” he said, staying behind. Owain shrugged and left the room. Brady was watching Maribelle read.

“What’s up, kiddo?” Lissa asked over the pictures, seeing her eldest staring at his mother.

“Ma’s- er, mother’s book,” he said, nodding to the pregnancy book in Maribelle’s hand. She put a finger between the pages and closed it, to look up at her son.

“Yes, dear?” she asked.

“I was wondering if...I could read it to learn about her, too?” he asked, and Maribelle looked a bit surprised for a moment, before nodding.

“Of course you can, darling,” she said, dog-earing her page and closing the book. “Don’t let it distract you from your school work too much, but feel free to browse it if you’d like.”

Brady came to the side of her bed, taking the book from her. “Thanks.”

“You might want to skip the later chapters, but you’ll see that it’s quite interesting to see what new thing she’s developing and doing by the week,” Maribelle said.

Brady nodded. “I’m eager to see. I’ll start reading after homework.”

Maribelle nodded to him, and he left the room. Lissa turned to Maribelle.

“Hopefully he’ll enjoy reading it,” she said. “I sure did through all three pregnancies. Now, how about I try seeing if I can feel her again?”

“Feel free,” Maribelle nodded, lifting her shirt a bit over her belly, and Lissa quickly got to work, telling the baby about the day and starting to let her learn her voice.

Only about a month later, and a few days before his birthday, Brady came to them one night after they had all gotten settled for bed. Lissa and Maribelle were sitting side-by-side again, Lissa rubbing her hands over Maribelle’s tummy, eager to try to feel more kicks. Maribelle was laying back on the pillow, watching Lissa rub and talk to her stomach, after encouraging her. She had felt that first kick from her shortly after the store trip, and now was ever eager to feel her kicks.

“Oh, baby, what are we going to name you?” Lissa said in a sing-song voice, as she rubbed the spot where she had mostly felt the kicks.

“Hopefully something will come to us, soon,” Maribelle said.

A small sound of someone clearing their throat came from the doorway, and the girls looked up.

They both looked up at Brady, greeting him, before they saw he was nearly in tears.

“Brady, darling, what's wrong?” Maribelle asked concernedly, sitting up in bed a bit, immediately moving into concerned mother mode.

“I...I just finished reading the book,” he said with a sniffle as he came over to the bed, “a-and I didn’t realize until now all of what you went through to have me. So, thank you, Ma.”

“Oh, dear, it’s alright,” Maribelle said. “You were worth every little discomfort I experienced when I was pregnant with you, which, if it makes you feel any better, was surprisingly not very many,” Maribelle said, reaching a hand up to grab her son’s. He took it and she squeezed it gently.

“Yeah, she was a total champ during her pregnancy with you,” Lissa said. “She honestly barely complained at all, except early on for the morning sickness, which is totally understandable. And look, the same is going for your sister.”

“I actually adore pregnancy,” Maribelle said, rubbing her free hand across the swell of her stomach. “Knowing that I’m going to bring a child into the world is a wonderful feeling, despite the occasional nausea and late night kicking sessions, but I can deal with them. Feel better now?”

Brady nodded. “That’s pretty reassuring, actually.”

“Maybe now I should take that book back from you so you don’t get upset again,” Lissa said, reaching for the book that Brady was carrying. He willingly handed it over, and Lissa set it on the bed next to her.

“Now, time for bed. You’ve got school tomorrow,” Lissa said. Brady smiled and nodded.

“G’night,” he said, as he turned to leave the room.

“Good night, love you darling,” Maribelle said, as he left. She sighed, turning her head to Lissa. “He’s such a caring boy.”

Lissa nodded, before leaning in to kiss Maribelle’s stomach and resume her talking once more.

* * *

They celebrated Brady’s birthday as a family, even Frederick stopping by for the little party. A few of his classmates came over, but both boys seemed most excited about the mutual friend of theirs who had come, the pair of them having spent most of their time with the light haired boy around school (despite his every day attempts to woo the girls). Lissa catered to the boys’ for food and drinks, making Maribelle rest on the couch and allowing her to still be part of the fun, but resting at the same time. She watched as they played video games and ate pizza, Lissa occasionally coming to rest by her on the couch.

Finally the party ended and most of the boys went home; though one child remained after the festivities had ended. The friend of both Brady and Owain, which worked out in their favor. His pink-haired mother apologized profusely for her tardiness once she arrived, which Lissa waved away since the boys were still having fun. The three of them ended up in the small kitchen, getting into talking about babies, which gave their sons more time to play and hang out. They had occasionally exchanged words with her after school when they picked up Brady and Owain, and were finally getting some actual chat time.

“Do you know what you’re having, or are you going to be surprised this time?” the woman asked as she timidly rubbed Maribelle’s stomach. She had been given permission to touch her, but was still rather shy about feeling up a sort-of stranger’s pregnant stomach.

“It’s a girl,” Maribelle replied, repositioning herself so one hand pressed against her lower back, effectively making her stomach press out a little more under the other woman’s gentle hand. “We were hoping for a girl this time around, so the boys could have a little sister to protect.”

The woman nodded. “That’s what I’d prefer, if my husband and I ever chose to have another baby, so our Inigo could be a big brother to a little sister, as well. As of right now, my husband seems quite content with just making his...weekly donations to the local clinic.”

Olivia then blushed at the words, apologizing again. “I’m sorry if that was a too personal tidbit about our lives.”

The girls shook their heads. "Seeing as our donor is now our children’s godfather, it’s not at all,” Maribelle said.

“The idea of older boys having a younger sister to protect just seems really cute to us,” Lissa continued the previous conversation. “We can’t wait to see them with her.”

“If you’d ever need me to watch the boys for anything, I’m available,” Olivia said. “Since they seem like such good friends.”

“Thank you, we may take you up on that," Maribelle said. “Maybe closer to her delivery, because I haven’t exactly decided on where I want to have her, and our babysitter may be gone the week she’s due.”

“Have you considered a home birth?” the woman asked, and Maribelle shook her head. “That was how I had Inigo. I actually ended up springing for a water birth at home, and it was the most wonderful delivery. The midwife was spectacular to me though it.”

The gears had started turning in Maribelle’s head, and even after Olivia had finally pried Inigo away from his friends and the video game with the promise that they could get together again soon, she was still considering the other woman’s words.

It was around Lissa’s birthday that Maribelle had completed her research and planning, and sat Lissa down to eagerly tell her wife her idea.

“I think I’d like to have her here, and in a birthing pool like Olivia was talking about,” Maribelle explained one night to Lissa, after they had sent the boys to bed and were getting there themselves.

Lissa nodded. “It sounds like a good plan, but what do you need for it?”

“A midwife who is licensed in water births, basically,” Maribelle said. “She supplies everything. But it’d be in the comforts of our home, and the boys can just walk home if I go into labor during school hours.”

“It sounds good to me,” Lissa said with a nod. “It’s totally your call since you’re the one having her, but as your support person and wife, I’m fully on board with it.”

Maribelle smiled. “I’ve already found a list of midwives in the area, so I’ll get on giving one of them a call tomorrow.”

Lissa agreed, and Maribelle leaned over to hug her. Well, as best as she could with her now prominent belly.

Maribelle had arranged all the plans within the next month, working herself a bit ragged now that she had everything almost in line, but still didn’t really know what to expect with a water birth. This planning carried through to Maribelle’s birthday, but Lissa put her foot down on letting her do anything too strenuous on this special day.

“You’re going to relax today, and once the boys are home from school, we’re all going to celebrate you,” Lissa said, having pushed Maribelle back into bed a number of times already. “You’re eight months pregnant and too much stress and work isn’t good for you or the baby, please don’t fight with me.”

Maribelle sighed and finally relented, relaxing once Lissa was laying next to her in bed and rubbing her stomach.

“I suppose a day of rest would be nice, since I am starting to grow tired quite easily these days,” she said, laying back on her pillow. “Especially with this little one’s kicks being as strong as they are, now.”

Lissa giggled. “Good, you’re finally listening to me. And yeah, her kicks are getting so strong.”

She put her hand on Maribelle’s stomach then, seeing if she could feel an aforementioned kick then. Maribelle knew what she was doing and grabbed her hand, bringing it more to the upper part of her stomach.

“Here’s where I’ve been feeling her little feet most today, near my ribs,” she said. “Just wait a moment.”

Lissa nodded, keeping her hand on the spot. A moment later as if on cue, there was a kick, and she squealed.

“There she is,” she said. “Is she our little Ophelia?”

Maribelle shook her head. "I do like the name, but what do you think of the name ‘Keira’?”

“Keira,” Lissa repeated, seeing how it felt to say, before nodding enthusiastically. “I like it! Where did you see it?”

“It actually came to me the other day,” Maribelle said. “I must have seen it in a book or something, but I’ve been playing around with it in my head, and now I’ve fallen in love with it.”

“It’s really cute,” Lissa agreed. “Baby Keira.”

She leaned in close to Maribelle’s stomach. “What do you think, Keira?”

A slightly less forceful kick under her palm gave her the answer, and Lissa nodded. “Keira it is, then!”

“We’ll tell the boys later once they’re home from school,” Maribelle said, and Lissa nodded again.

“But now, I’m gonna get her used to her name,” she said, as she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Maribelle’s tummy. This was interrupted quite quickly by a knock at the door, and the girls shared a confused look.

“Stay here,” Lissa said, grudgingly getting out of bed and leaving the room to get the door. Maribelle listened carefully, one hand absently rubbing her stomach. She quickly realized the familiar voice as Olivia’s, and carefully got herself out of bed to join the two.

“Hello, Maribelle,” Olivia greeted once Maribelle had come into the room. She held up a small, pink gift bag. “I’ve brought the baby a few things, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Maribelle said, coming over to the door. Olivia shook her head and handed Maribelle the bag.

“It’s the least I can do,” she said. “I...actually didn’t know what you might like for your birthday, so I figured you might like some things for the baby, instead.”

“That’s really sweet,” Maribelle said, taking the bag. “I’m not sure how you guessed that it was my birthday, but I might know the little birdie who could have told you.”

This part was obviously aimed at Lissa, who was looking away nonchalantly. She finally met Maribelle’s gaze, and shrugged innocently.

“When we were talking and you left for that moment during Brady’s party to check on the kids, I might have let it slip. But it was just from an innocent comment about how we had three birthdays almost in a row to celebrate!”

“It’s true that we do,” Maribelle said, before looking back to Olivia. “I truly do appreciate you buying her something.”

“Open it,” Olivia encouraged, and Maribelle did. She gently took away the pink tissue paper, revealing the adorable pink polka dotted swimsuit and matching hair bow.

“Oh, this is simply  _ adorable _ ,” Maribelle said, lifting it up to see. “Thank you, I love it. And I’m sure she’ll love it, as well.”

Olivia nodded. “There’s just one more thing in there, and it goes with this.”

Maribelle handed Lissa the clothes to admire, before reaching into the bag once more (noting its heaviness still). She pulled out a small rubber duck with almost the same outfit on it.

“It seemed perfect since she’ll probably get to use this in the summer,” Olivia said, smiling.

“Most perfect, indeed,” Maribelle replied with a grin. “Thank you again.”

* * *

The last month of Maribelle’s pregnancy actually proved to be her worst one, due to the nearly summer weather and general uncomfortableness of being as pregnant as she was. Her practice contractions had begun on and off the first week of May, making them both on high alert for if they one day became stronger and the time had finally come. The baby’s movements were non-stop, and combined with the end of May heat, Maribelle was miserable. She tried to keep her discomfort as hidden as possible, not wanting to upset the boys or Lissa, since the former were the complete opposite moods due to almost being done with school and looking forward to summer.

Another school year was coming to an end, the promise of summer just over the horizon, after their last few tests and required school days. Brady’s graduation from middle school also loomed over all their heads, though it coincided with the week that Maribelle was due, so it was still up in the air if she’d even be able to go. Lissa had promised him she’d go no matter what, but it all depended on the baby’s schedule.

Finally, the last, fun-filled week of school had arrived for Brady and Owain. The boys had gotten all their last tests completed the previous, and this week was all about fun. Ice cream was given with lunch to all the students on Monday; a scheduled field trip to the county amusement park for the eighth graders (and the movies for the other two grades) was scheduled for Tuesday; the Summer dance was Wednesday night; and the final two days were reserved for the pizza parties and short days for all the grades.

That week moved by fast, and the first pizza party and short day arrived on the first day of June. Both Lissa and Maribelle saw the boys off that morning when Frederick came to pick them up, wishing them a happy second-to-last day of school.

Maribelle knew something was up almost the moment that the boys had left with Frederick for school, but she refrained on telling Lissa right away, ignoring the possibility of what it could mean. Instead, the pair of them continued on with their daily morning chores, Lissa currently on after breakfast dish duty and Maribelle getting the last few tiny outfits all folded and ready to be used in the few drawers of their dresser that were dedicated to baby clothes (which didn’t look like it would be too long, Maribelle reasoned as she looked over the little clothes and felt yet another tightening sensation in her abdomen).

Finally, she felt like she should say something, now nearly an hour after the boys had left, when she couldn’t stand the the growing discomfort for much longer and it had begun to disrupt her concentration.

“Lissa?” she called, throwing the current outfit down amidst the small pile of ones she hadn’t folded yet and placing her hands on the dresser for support at the next slightly painful tightening in her abdomen. “Are you right there?”

“In the boys’ room collecting laundry!” Lissa called back, which was only a door down. “What’s up?”

“I...I think it might be nearly time, now,” Maribelle replied, and only got silence back from Lissa. She appeared in the doorway only a moment later, with a half-filled laundry basket under her arm.

“What do you-  _ oh _ , oh my gosh!” Lissa gasped at the realization, seeing Maribelle leaning on the dresser now, her face slightly scrunched up, showing the signs of the current discomfort she was in. Lissa immediately dropped the laundry in the doorway, before coming to her wife’s side, wrapping an arm over her back.

“Okay, Maribelle, just breathe,” Lissa instructed. “Remember how to do the breathing?”

Maribelle nodded, beginning to take a breath in. “Can you...call the midwife now?”

“You’re positive you wanna have her here?” Lissa asked. “I can still take you to the hospital, and we can call Frederick from there-”

“No, I’m sure,” Maribelle said, cutting her wife off. “Please give her a call and let her know I started having contractions about an hour ago. A woman’s second child is said to come quicker than her first, and I don’t want to waste any more time pretending that I’m not in labor when I clearly am and have been.”

Lissa gasped at what she had just been told. “You’ve been having them for an  _ hour _ ? Maribelle, you should have told me this sooner!”

“I truly did assume they were just the practice ones I’ve been having up until that last one, though a bit stronger,” Maribelle admitted.

“But you’ve had a baby before, you know what the real ones feel like!” Lissa said, shaking her head, before letting out a sigh and calming down a bit. “Okay, nevermind, it’s alright. I’ve gotta call the midwife now.”

She pulled out her phone, still by Maribelle’s side, who seemed to be over the contraction now. She continued to fold the little clothes that were still left out on the top of the dresser as a distraction. Her favorite was still the ‘ _ I Have Two Moms Who Love Me! _ ’ rainbow text onesie she had just finished folding. Meanwhile, Lissa had gotten through on the phone, having programmed the midwife’s number in when Maribelle had cemented the plans back in April. 

“Yes, hi, I’m calling about Maribelle,” she said into the phone. “We think she’s going into labor now- I mean, we’re sure she is. She’s had a baby before and we- yeah, about an hour ago, she just told me.”

Lissa looked to Maribelle and playfully shook her head again, before listening in again. Through the rest of the call, Lissa gave a few nods and confirmations, all of which Maribelle watched, before the conversation finally seemed to end.

“Okay, we’ll see you soon, thanks,” she said, before hanging up and turning to Maribelle. “She’s on her way. She said you should decide where you’d like to actually have the baby, and I should start getting it ready for you so she can get the pool set up quickly, if that’s still how you want it to be.”

Maribelle nodded. “I think here in our room would be best for her delivery, in case the boys come home before she’s here so I’m not just out in the open of the apartment.”

Lissa nodded, before making a face. “Oh wow, I didn’t even think of the boys coming home yet. I wonder if you’ll have her before they get home, or after?”

“I guess we’ll see,” Maribelle said, and Lissa nodded. “It’d be a fun surprise for them if they came home and she was already here, but everything happens on her schedule.”

Lissa nodded again as Maribelle lowered her head and closed her eyes, still leaning on the dresser. She tried hard to contain her excitement and focus more on helping and supporting Maribelle as they started getting ready for the exciting next few hours ahead. That first task was helping her get through contractions until the midwife arrived, which would hopefully be soon.

When there was a knock at the door less than twenty minutes later (which had been just enough time for them to make some headway on getting their bedroom set up to become a delivery room), Maribelle, having just gotten through a contraction, looked up and met eyes with Lissa, sitting right next to her on the edge of the bed, and nodded. 

Lissa waited until she was just outside their room to let out a small, excited squeal as she went to greet the midwife at the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N** : Some (small) parts of this story/chapter were based off of real-life events after my brother and I learned we’d be becoming older siblings when we were younger, and some was just me trying to be clever with baby names because naming babies is Hard.
> 
> Also, I haven’t cliff hanged a story in 5ever, but I also haven’t written a consistent, multi-chaptered story in 5ever, so sorry. Anyway, I’ll try to be better about posting the next and last chapter sooner, because baby Keira is on her way and I’m so excited to finally introduce her~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright and finally, here’s the last chapter. There’s two Very Special reasons why today is posting day: one, June 1st is the decided canon birthday of the baby, and posting things on a character’s birthday is always fun. Two, today is my college graduation day, and I wanted to post one of my last big writing projects on my last day of school for personal sentimental reasons. That is also why it took so long for updating, I was really busy during this last semester, so apologies.
> 
> tl;dr: In any case, hopefully this was worth the wait, enjoy! c:

* * *

"Yeah, tomorrow’s gonna be the best, the last day of school always is," Owain said, continuing their conversation as he and Brady entered the apartment a little before noon.

"I know, especially because there’s always a class— wait, do you hear that? There’s someone else besides ma and mom here, and it doesn’t sound like Frederick."

Owain held his tongue on whatever it was he was going to say as he quietly closed the door behind him, and they both listened in closely. They indeed heard an unfamiliar voice mingling with their mothers’ voices off in the back bedroom, and went to investigate.

The first thing they saw was a short woman who they didn’t know, but who had been the owner of the unfamiliar voice they’d both heard. They quickly realized she was probably the midwife Lissa and Maribelle had been talking about for weeks. She was standing at the edge of the bed, putting various instruments that were sitting on a towel back into her large bag. Her presence was the first clue about the scene they had just walked into.

Lissa and Maribelle were laying together in their usual spots in the bed. Maribelle looked like she had just gotten out of the shower; her hair was damp and she was wrapped up in her fluffy robe. She was holding a soft, pink bundle of blankets at her chest, which Lissa was leaning in close to and making faces at. It was then that it fully clicked and the boys realized what this probably meant. Lissa pulled away from the bundle and looked up to see the boys, and grinned excitedly to them, almost as if she was giving them confirmation.

"Hey, look whose here. Boys, come over here and meet your little sister," she said as she sat up, and the boys finally moved from the doorway to Maribelle’s side of the bed, excitement now evident on their faces. Brady gently sat down on the edge of the bed next to Maribelle, and Owain stood at his brother’s side.

The tiny baby in Maribelle’s arms was wide awake, and when the boys looked down at their little sister’s face, they could see right away how much she resembled Maribelle: rosy cheeks and tiny nose, and eyes that possibly would match her mother’s eye color. She had a pink and blue striped cap covering her head, but a few wisps of curly, white hair stuck out around the edge of the hat. She wore a purple onesie, which had her name emblazoned across the front in pink bubble letters, something Lissa had secretly and specially ordered for her and surprised Maribelle with after her birth, which matched nicely with the pink blanket around her. She already seemed content and happy with the big, new world, and where she was currently snuggled against her mother.

"Wow...when did she get here?" Brady asked with awe, reaching forward for the tiny baby with a hand. Maribelle immediately clicked her tongue and stopped him, brushing his hand away.

"I’m going to ask that the both of you please wash your hands first before touching her, because you’ve been at school with all the other children and their germs," she said a bit stiffly, before continuing to answer his question. "About an hour after you two left for school was when my labor really began to pick up, so it was then that we called the midwife."

"We still ended up waiting around most of the morning for her, but once baby Keira decided that she was ready to come out, she was here in less than five minutes, and that was something like half an hour ago, now?" Lissa said, the last part sounding like a question.

"It’s been just about that now, yes," the midwife confirmed, pausing her clean up to look down at the watch on her wrist.

"My hesitation for the midwife to set the pool up when she asked the last time resulted in your little sister being born in the bath instead, and your wonderful mom caught her. Now she’s here, and she’s absolutely perfect," Maribelle said with a slight coo at the last part, looking down at the little face staring right back up at her, and gently tapping her little nose with a finger.

"It was a very quick and successful birth, despite it not being exactly what was initially planned," the midwife said with a chuckle. "That can happen sometimes, but still, a very healthy and vibrant baby girl came safely from it, and that’s all that matters."

"Aw, wow, she’s so tiny, though," Brady commented, staring at the bundled up baby at Maribelle’s chest again.

"And so cute," Owain added. "She looks just like you, mother."

"Quite the compliment, since she’s less than an hour old," the midwife said. "But yes, it looks as though she’ll take mostly after her birth mother."

"A daughter who resembles me, what more could I ask for," Maribelle said with a happy sigh, looking back up to the smiling faces of her boys. "Except all of my children take after me in one way or another, which brings me such joy."

"Even me?" Owain asked.

"Of course," Maribelle said, looking to the now middle child’s slightly concerned face and giving him a quick, reassuring nod. "I might not have carried you, but you still definitely carry certain things from me."

Owain smiled back at her at the statement.

"That’s right," Lissa piped up as she then looked towards their eldest, who was still looking down at his little sister in Maribelle’s arms, "and the same goes for Brady and probably eventually Keira for me."

"We’re all one big, happy family, no matter what," Maribelle said, returning her gaze to the baby, as her little mouth opened in a big yawn, which reminded Maribelle of her worry from before the boys had come in to meet their sister, and she gave a sudden sigh. "I just wish this one would try eating again now, since that is a pretty important thing for newborns to do."

"We can try to get her to nurse again, if you’d like," the midwife suggested, and Maribelle nodded quickly. Brady got off the bed, before he and Owain stepped to the side as the midwife came to stand by Maribelle again.

"You two might want to look away for this," Lissa said to Brady and Owain, as the midwife leaned in and began to help Maribelle adjust the baby and untie the robe covering her. "In fact, why don’t you guys go order us some lunch for delivery, since it’s a special occasion, and will be easier? Since you already had pizza at school today, Chinese food, maybe?"

This quickly got the boys’ interests, since take-out was a rare treat usually saved for very special occasions, and they nodded excitedly.

"Should we order what we got the last time we were there?" Owain asked, and Lissa nodded.

"The number and my purse are on the table. Don’t go too crazy, though!" she said.

The boys left the room then, and Lissa got comfortable on her side of the bed, right next to her wife to watch the proceedings of her trying to get their daughter to nurse again.

"Alright, just like before, gently guide her to your breast and just see if she seems interested," the midwife instructed, and Maribelle did, cuddling the baby in her arms close to her as she gently positioned her head towards her chest. Like the first time Maribelle had tried just a few minutes after her birth, Keira seemed to actually contemplate it for a brief moment, but Maribelle’s hope was dashed when the baby instead turned away and tried to focus on her mother’s still slightly flushed face than what she was now being offered again.

"Aw, Belle, look how much she loves you already, she just can’t take her eyes off of you," Lissa commented, leaning in to kiss Maribelle’s cheek. "I totally don’t blame her."

"As adorable a thought as that is, I’d really like it if she would just try to eat for mother, now," Maribelle fussed, bringing her voice to a bit of a coo to maybe sway the baby into it, but Keira continued resisting, making Maribelle sigh again. "Oh please, darling? Surely you must be ready to give it a try?"

"Don’t worry, I assure you that she’ll eat when she’s ready, and on her time," the midwife said with a chuckle, seeing this second failed attempt. "Some babies are just truly more interested in their mother and the new world than in nursing right away. Meanwhile, you can continue just bonding with her in other ways, like talking to her."

"Alright, my dear, I suppose if you’re really still not ready," Maribelle said apprehensively, stopping her attempts to try to make the baby eat, and fixing her robe to cover herself up more again. She readjusted Keira’s blanket around her daughter again too, before looking back up at the midwife with a smile.

"Are you still going to be here for a while? You’re welcome to have some lunch with us, if you’d like to."

The midwife nodded her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t want to intrude on your lunch. I will stay until you’re comfortable with her and ready for me to go, though."

Maribelle nodded. "Thank you. We truly do appreciate you being here, for us and for her."

"It’s no trouble at all. I adore this job exactly for that reason." The midwife gave a small smile and nod again, before moving away to the dresser to continue quietly clean and pack the rest of her supplies up and letting the moms bond with their new baby. Lissa leaned in to gently kiss the baby as well, before resting her head on Maribelle’s shoulder, in attempt to get even closer to see her new daughter. Keira had finally looked away from Maribelle’s face and was now trying to stare at Lissa, since she’d come closer into her limited line of vision, now.

"Hey there, miss Keira Marie. I love you," she said, smiling at her daughter.

"I think we can take that gaze as her loving you so much already as well, my love," Maribelle commented, as Lissa reached her hand up to the tiny fingers still sticking out at the top of the blanket. Keira immediately grasped on, holding tight to Lissa’s finger, making her second mom giggle. "Probably even more so since you were the one who caught her as she was born," Maribelle continued, her heart swelling at seeing her wife and daughter bonding. "That will be quite a tale to tell her when she’s older."

Lissa nodded, still smiling.

"That was amazing and I’m so glad I got to do that," she said, excitedly, fondly remembering the moment. "We definitely have a special bond because of that. I love her so much."

"You two certainly do, and so do I. And of course the same goes for you, as well," Maribelle said, turning her head to look at Lissa, who took the opportunity to smile and lean up to catch Maribelle’s lips in a quick, tender kiss. Just then, the boys came back into the room.

"The food is ordered and on its way, dear mother!" Owain proclaimed loudly as he bounded back through the doorway, but thankfully not loud enough to disrupt the kiss, or startle the baby in Maribelle’s arms, who was still grasping Lissa’s finger as her mothers shared their kiss. He lifted a hand up to the side of his face to shield his eyes. "Oops, sorry."

The ladies broke away from each other then, and the boys came back over to stand by the edge of the bed again.

"Ma, can me and Owain try to hold her while we wait for the food to get here?" Brady asked.

"I suppose that would be alright," Maribelle said after a moment of contemplating her son’s question (and deciding not to correct him). "But as I stated before, I ask that you two please wash your hands, first. You may use our bathroom to do so. Just...avoid the bath, the water is still there from her delivery. It’s not that bad, but still."

"I’ll be sure to take care of that before I leave as well, don’t you worry," the midwife piped up quickly from across the room, cutting over Maribelle, who nodded at her.

Brady and Owain nodded, heading to their moms’ adjacent bathroom, as Lissa leaned in and gave another kiss to the baby, this time on her tiny fingers.

"I love you, sweetheart, but I have to go get something real quick," she said, carefully pulling her finger out of Keira’s grasp, before moving and sitting up. She sat and got off of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Maribelle asked, as Lissa crossed the room and ended up next to the midwife, reaching for something on the dresser.

"Gotta get my phone," Lissa said, as she grabbed the device and unlocked it, ignoring the warning about it already having a low battery due to the previous photo shoot of baby Keira when she’d been first born. "Seeing the boys get to hold her for the first time is another photo opportunity I’m totally not missing out on."

Maribelle smiled and nodded, and when the boys came back with clean hands and eager faces, she began to gently show them how to hold their little sister. Kicking off their shoes, Brady and Owain climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged in front of Maribelle, watching and listening to her holding demonstration for their little sister. Once done with her spiel, it was decided that Brady would hold her first. Maribelle placed the still calm Keira in her older son’s arms, and Lissa stood by with her phone at the ready; the scene was reminiscent of Brady holding baby Owain for the first time after he’d come home from the hospital.

"Don’t forget to support her head, it’s very important," Maribelle gently reminded Brady, who nodded and quickly shifted Keira in his arms to a more supportive holding position. "That’s right, darling. Now, go ahead and get acquainted with her."

"Hi, Keira," Brady said, smiling down at the baby once she had settled in his arms, still all wrapped up in her blanket. "I’m your big brother, Brady. It’s nice to finally get to meet you."

Owain watched right next to Brady, leaning in closer to him. "Hey little sister, you’re really cute," he cooed, reaching for the baby’s tiny fingers like Lissa had.

"Careful, Owain," Brady warned protectively, trying to move Keira away from Owain slightly, as the small fingers once again wrapped around larger ones. "She’s very delicate."

"I won’t hurt her by just letting her hold my finger," Owain said, as if it was the silliest thing he’d ever heard.

"Still, just...be careful," Brady muttered, easing up a little as he saw how innocent Owain’s bonding with their little sister was. He settled in and looked down at Keira again, smiling down at her as he began to memorize her face. Lissa took the opportunity to snap the first couple of pictures here.

"Aw come on, don’t hog her, Brady," Owain whined impatiently a moment later, slightly ruining the moment.

"You’ll get your turn, Owain dear, don’t worry," Maribelle assured him patiently, slightly displeased that the moment had been shattered. "But right now, it’s Brady’s time with her."

"I just want another moment with her for now, just to give her a kiss," Brady said, before leaning in to kiss the baby’s forehead. He then looked back up to Lissa.

"Okay, I’m done. Can you take her back for Owain’s turn now, mom?" Brady asked. "She’s so tiny and I’m afraid of moving her around too much."

"Babies are much more resilient than you think, but sure I can," Lissa said with a nod, putting her phone down before leaning in to gently take the baby from her eldest, and moving to settle her back in Owain’s arms. He copied the arm placement Brady had done to cradle her, and beamed up at Lissa once Keira was settled and seemed happy in his arms.

"That’s right, Owain," Lissa praised at her son’s grin, "the most important thing about holding a baby is making sure she feels secure in your arms."

"I think she does," Owain said proudly, looking down at Keira, who was looking right back up at him. "Wow, my first time holding a baby, and it’s going great!"

"You’re doing wonderful, dear. I know you’re excited, but please try to keep your voice down a bit so you don’t startle her, alright?" Maribelle asked, and Owain nodded to her, before beginning his own introduction spiel to her, as Brady had done, though much longer.

Keira didn’t seem to mind being passed between the boys for another turn each, and Lissa caught the moments in numerous pictures before her phone finally died, despite the many more photo opportunities to be had. The best photo would later be determined to be the moment of all five of them together, the boys and Lissa crowding around Maribelle and the baby that the midwife took.

She finally finished wrapping everything up and left just after one in the afternoon. She left with giving Maribelle instructions to call her if they had any questions or concerns, which for the time being, they didn’t. Keira fell asleep before getting a chance to try nursing again, and even though Maribelle was concerned, she knew the midwife’s words were true, and the baby would eat when she was ready. She slept peacefully in Lissa’s arms as the excitement waned a bit, and the family eagerly awaited the food’s arrival.

They were all pretty hungry once the food arrived less than ten minutes after the midwife left, especially Maribelle, after what she’d been through that morning. The boys made their plates and got to eat in front of the tv (another rare treat), while Lissa dished for her and her wife, and the pair of them stayed in bed close to the baby with their own plates of food. Keira slept nestled between her mothers on the bed as they ate, and they had nearly finished their plates before she stirred again, breaking the silence with a sudden tiny whimper.

"I bet she smelled your food and finally realized she was hungry," Lissa half joked, setting her plate aside before she gently lifted the baby from her spot, cradling her in her arms to try to calm her a bit as Maribelle got ready for her again.

"I hope so. She must be ready to eat by now," Maribelle said, quickly undoing her robe before reaching her arms out to Lissa to take Keira. Lissa leaned in, giving her daughter a quick kiss on her forehead, temporarily making the whimpers falter a bit.

"You make your mommy happy and show her you’re ready to eat now, okay, Keira?"

She handed her off to Maribelle before Keira could get more upset. Maribelle guided Keira to what she hoped she wanted once she was comfortable and cradled in her arms again, and the whimpers quickly tampered off as this time she latched immediately and took to nursing like it was the easiest thing in the world, much to Maribelle’s relief. The mother gave a relieved sigh and leaned back on her pillow to settle in, looking down at her daughter’s face with a pleased smile.

"There you go, darling, you’ve got it. Oh, I’m so proud of you," Maribelle cooed quietly to Keira as she nursed, gently patting her back with the hand that was supporting her. Lissa got settled closer to her wife on the bed again, and in the dim light from the bedside lamp she took in the sight of the mother and new child. Maribelle felt Lissa’s gaze and turned her head to her, where Lissa was smiling at the sight. "Isn’t she just amazing?"

Lissa nodded back silently. "I just can’t believe we’re moms again."

"Mm, me either," Maribelle replied. "When your phone is charged again, could you please text the midwife and let her know she’s got it now?"

"I totally will," Lissa whispered. The pair of them settled in to quietly watch Keira nurse, and in turn, the baby kept her eyes locked on Maribelle’s the whole time, until her eyelids began to droop from drowsiness. Keira continued eating even after she’d fallen asleep, still hungry, but exhausted from the long day.

Once she had finally finished and detached from Maribelle, Maribelle readjusted Keira to laying on her tummy on her chest, with one of her arms around the baby’s back and the other supporting her diapered bottom. She wanted to snuggle her daughter close as she slept. When Maribelle was laying comfortably herself, with the baby’s head resting just under her chin, her breathing and her daughter’s breathing synced up, and all was peaceful for the moment. Lissa leaned in and kissed Maribelle’s cheek, before leaning a bit lower and kissing one of Keira’s tiny clenched fists that was resting just under her chin. She was careful so she wouldn’t disturb either of them.

"I’m gonna go and let you both take a nap, now. I’ll keep the boys quiet and occupied," Lissa whispered just loud enough for Maribelle to hear, already starting to move quietly from her spot.

"Alright," Maribelle sleepily whispered back without opening her eyes. "Thank you, darling, that sounds lovely. I love you."

"I love you, too. Have a good sleep."

She leaned in and kissed Maribelle’s cheek once again, as Maribelle took a slow, deep sigh. She then seemed to nod off rather quickly with confirmation that everything would be taken care of while she rested.

Despite just saying that she’d go, Lissa found herself unable to move away right away, enjoying the sight of her wife and daughter sleeping comfortably and peacefully together after the long day. Suddenly, the door slowly opened. Lissa looked up and held a silent warning finger up to her lips as Brady and Owain entered the room, the pair of them coming to the side of the bed again.

"They both just fell asleep, so we’re gonna all go hang out and let them rest," Lissa whispered, and the boys nodded at the proposed plan. After they had taken a good look, Lissa carefully got out of bed, ushering the boys to follow her out of the room, quietly closing the door behind them.

The first order of business was an important one: Frederick had to be informed about the baby’s arrival. Once her phone had a suitable battery again, she sent him two of the best pictures from the day, the one that the midwife had taken of all of them only a little while ago and a good close up of the baby, and he quickly replied about how eager he was to meet her the next day. She also fulfilled Maribelle’s request of texting the midwife to let her know about the baby, which she was beyond pleased to know.

After those two things had been taken care of, Lissa, Owain, and Brady spent some quality time together watching a movie and hanging out, having fun but taking extra care to be quiet.

In the early evening around what was normally their dinner time (a decent amount of time later, Lissa thought), Maribelle rejoined them in the living room, looking rested and still dressed in her robe, with an seemingly equally as rested baby Keira in her arms. Lissa was happy and excited to see the pair of them looking a bit perkier after a good nap, and the boys greeted their mother and sister excitedly as well. Each of them got another good chance to hold her on the couch under Maribelle’s watchful eyes, as Lissa prepared the lunch leftovers as dinner for them. Over the leftover Chinese food a little while later, the family discussed the final plans about Brady’s graduation and Owain’s transition to the next grade.

The family hung out all together a little more after dinner, but everyone got an fairly early night that night, due to the exhausting excitement from today, and for the last day of school excitement for tomorrow.

For Lissa and Maribelle, the night was very reminiscent of the night they had become moms for the first time, the warm and fuzzy blur that came with taking care of a newborn.

* * *

Less than a week after baby Keira’s birth was finally the big day for Brady, his eighth grade graduation. The whole family would be able to attend the early morning ceremony, and arrived at the school half an hour before it began (Brady was required to get there an hour early, and Frederick graciously volunteered to pick him up and drop him off earlier, and begin to hold seats for the rest of the family for when the ceremony actually started).

Lissa, Owain, Maribelle, and a currently sleeping baby Keira found themselves being let into the school gym fifteen minutes before ten am, and found the place already packed with parents and siblings. But Frederick had snagged them seats in the front row, and conveniently next to Olivia and her assumed husband, a white-haired man who was sporting a large grin. They went over and took their seats, thanking Frederick quickly for saving them. Olivia turned to them and immediately began exclaiming over the baby in Maribelle’s arms.

"I was hoping you’d bring her today! Inigo told me that Brady and Owain passed the news of her arrival on Friday. She’s adorable," the woman cooed, looking at the baby’s sleeping face.

This caught the attention of the man sitting next to her, previously people watching, who turned to his wife. He gasped when he saw that she was cooing over a baby, and quickly fell in love himself.

"Aw, she is!" he agreed. "Wish I could see her awake, I bet she’s even cuter!"

"Henry, please," Olivia said. "We don’t wake sleeping babies, remember?"

"I wasn’t gonna wake her, I want to see her after she’s woken up herself!"

"I’m afraid she just fell asleep right before we left, so she’ll probably stay asleep through the ceremony," Maribelle said, trying to move the baby slightly away from the overexcited man so she didn’t actually wake up. "Since she’s only a few days old, she needs all the rest she can get."

"Yeah, sorry mister. I prefer her awake too, though," Lissa piped up with a grin and a small shrug. "She looks like her mom, if that’ll help you visualize her at all."

"Aw," the man marveled. "And with her white hair, she’s just gorgeous!"

He didn’t seem to connect that his hair looked strikingly alike with hers, but suddenly Maribelle did, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"What...did you say he did again, if you don’t mind me asking?" she asked Olivia, as Henry continued marvelling over the baby.

"He’s in fast food currently, but he’s making extra money to help us and himself through medical school with-" Olivia’s eyes widened before she even finished her sentence, looking down to the baby in Maribelle’s arms. She then looked up to Maribelle, who nodded once as a quiet confirmation. "-donations to the local fertility clinic."

"That’s right!" Henry, blissfully unaware, commented proudly. "Once every two weeks or so. It’s cool to know I may be helping families in need to make babies. I just love babies!"

Maribelle stared at Henry, almost willing him to make the connection that his wife and Maribelle had, but he was back to cooing over the sleeping baby again. It was probably for the best. And there wasn’t much time to think about it, because once the hour struck, right on time, the ceremony began.

The seventh grade school band began playing a version of the infamous graduation song, before the students started walking in. Two at a time, in two rows, before they split and went to opposite rows of chairs. Lissa was the one who spotted Brady (who was luckily on their side and thus in their view), and gave him a quick, silent wave. He nodded back to her, before the girl next to him nudged his side, and he rolled his eyes and obeyed, looking straight ahead again.

"Who was that child and why did she just nudge my baby?" Maribelle whispered harshly at Lissa’s side, and Lissa merely shrugged. The child in question had gone the other way from Brady, to the further rows of chairs on the other side of the gym, but Maribelle made a note to keep an eye on the olive-haired pigtailed girl throughout the ceremony.

The students continued filing in, paired up and all of them all dressed up for their graduation in the same dark, flowing gowns. Once they were finally all seated, the band cut off, and the principal took the stage to begin speaking.

"On behalf of the students, we are pleased to have all parents, family members, and friends here to witness the ceremony from middle to high school," he began, looking out to the crowds. "We are so proud of our graduates, and will be starting the official ceremony very soon now."

"I hope so, it’s too early to be awake for being on summer vacation!" Owain whispered with a smirk by Lissa’s side, before being gently shushed and nudged by his mother.

"Aw, come on, we’re here to support your brother," Lissa whispered back, and Owain nodded, showing he was joking. As she said the words, it suddenly truly hit her that their eldest was graduating middle school. Lissa had a quick flashback to different stages of his life, from them seeing him for the very first time as a red-faced newborn, to him being their explorative but shy toddler, to him becoming a big brother to Owain. Owain’s voice and a gentle nudge of his own against her side a moment later broke Lissa out of her thoughts, and she looked back to him, blinking.

"Mother wants you," he whispered, nodding to Maribelle. Lissa looked over his head to her wife.

"It’s just hitting me," Maribelle whispered, tears suddenly welling in her eyes. "Our first baby’s really growing up."

Lissa nodded, reaching her hand over Owain’s lap to try to grab Maribelle’s hand, but before she could say anything else, the principal was starting up again.

"At this time, we are going to begin presenting certificates to the students. We ask that the parents please try to refrain from cheering for their child or children so each name can be heard clearly to give everyone their deserved moment. With this, would the first and second rows please rise and start lining up at the stage?"

The rows of students rose, and they saw Brady again, staring steadily forward. He was biting his lower lip, as if anxious or trying not to cry (or both). His class had spent a few days practicing on how to do this, and both Lissa and Maribelle figured he was focusing so he would do his part perfectly. The first few names were read and the students were given their diplomas, and after not too long of a wait, Brady was called. He handed his name card to the reader, who mouthed the written name a few times before announcing him.

"Brady Frederick—"

Just like most people who had attempted to say it, Brady’s double hyphenated last name was mispronounced once again, but for once, it didn’t seem to bother him too badly as he crossed the stage for his award. His support group had to refrain from cheering, both because they had been told to, and because Maribelle still had a sleeping baby in her arms and none of them wanted her waking up. After being given his certificate, Brady gave a quick smile to them before returning to his seat.

At the same time, the girl who had bumped him while they were walking was just getting her own diploma. Maribelle made another mental note to try to remember to ask Brady about her after the ceremony.

The rest of the ceremony went by without a hitch. Once every student had received a certificate, the principal made his final announcements and congratulations to the students. They were allowed to leave before the parents, who would file out after they were all out, and meet outside in the school’s large quad area. Despite being in the front row, Maribelle had made them wait around a little for the crowds to die down, before she swiftly followed Lissa, Frederick, and Owain out (being careful since she was holding precious cargo), before they were all pushed out into the mob of students and parents.

"There he is!" Owain called after a moment of searching and being pushed around, waiting for a path to clear before leading his moms over to Brady, who was standing just outside the crowd and talking to a classmate. He paused his conversation once he saw them, smiling at them.

"Hey, you guys," he barely had time to say, before Maribelle was on him, pulling him into a bear hug as best she could with one of her arms already occupied with his sister. The classmate (the same girl, yet again) backed up a little as Maribelle hugged him to give them some space. Maribelle finally let go, backing up a bit before he was gathered into Lissa’s arms for another bear hug.

"We’re all so proud of you, Brady!" Lissa said, squeezing him once before letting go and backing up back next to Maribelle and Owain. Frederick then stepped forward to him.

"Congratulations," he said with a proud smile, patting the boy’s shoulder with one of his hands.

"Thanks, you guys," Brady said with a nod to them all, before turning to the girl who had been standing idly by. "This is my classmate and friend, Severa. She was my partner during that walk in part of the ceremony, and we had a few classes together."

"Hi," the girl politely (but quickly) greeted the adults, before turning to Owain. "Hey, dork."

Owain nodded at her, biting his tongue to stop himself from replying to her greeting rudely. "Hello, Severa."

Before she could say anything else, a man’s hand on top of her head suddenly ruffled her hair, and she squealed. Once he was finished, she turned around, looking angry.

"Daddy, don’t do that!" she said, stomping her foot on the ground. The man laughed.

"Sorry, hun, I’m just so proud of you!" he said, before a woman silently came up next to him. "And your mom is, too."

Severa sighed and turned back to Brady. "My family."

Brady smiled pleasantly and stuck his hand out at the woman with the long, red hair who had just come up beside the olive-haired man. "Hello."

She took his hand and shook it, and Lissa began to greet them next, before her eyes suddenly widened. The man looked awfully familiar already, but his hair was the dead giveaway. She looked to Owain and he looked back at her questioningly, but the man had taken her greeting and was back to paying attention to the older children. He didn’t seem to catch on to what she was trying to figure out.

Maribelle, however, immediately realized, but stayed quiet, giving Lissa a look that she understood what her wife was trying to mentally work out. It was deja vu of what had happened with her earlier with Henry.

"Would you guys want to go somewhere to eat together? Graduates should get a special meal," he said, before looking back up to the still gaping Lissa and Maribelle. "Pardon me, ma’am, but are you alright?"

"We were just considering our dining options, as well," Maribelle said quickly, nodding her head. "We had a small breakfast earlier, and it’s been a long morning, so it might just be best to take the children out to get something to eat."

"Great!" he said with a smile, the plans made. "I’m starving."

"If we didn’t just meet them, maybe we could have had you cook something for them instead back at home, daddy," Severa piped up. "You’re a pretty decent chef, after all."

Lissa bit her tongue at this unintentional confirmation she’d just gotten, as the man laughed.

"Yeah, but it’d be quicker just to go out to eat. Shall we get going?"

"Sounds like a plan," Maribelle said, giving a side-eye to Lissa. She nodded back, and they were off.

The families met at the most popular restaurant in town, where, of course, every other recent graduate and their families had also gone for breakfast. Instead of potentially waiting up to two hours for a table, they decided on going to a less popular but still delicious restaurant, where they celebrated the two new eighth grade graduates.

* * *

The end of July summer heat had gotten steadily worse as the late afternoon stretched on, and everyone was already tired from having house hunted all day. Despite that, they all seemed to perk up at this last house the realtor was showing them for the day. It was only a few blocks away from their apartment, in the nice part of town.

"This one might be a bit big for what you were thinking of, but I thought I’d show you anyway, because it seems like it could be the perfect house for you," she explained as they walked up the front path, passed the mailbox and trash can, and onto the large, tree shaded front porch.

"I really like this porch, and how it’s got a fence around it," Lissa commented as they paused there before actually entering the house. "It seems really safe for the boys to come out and play here, since they couldn’t really do that at the apartment."

"Same here," Maribelle agreed. "It would be wonderful for all three of them to be able to be outside, in either the front or back yard."

As she said this, she gently patted the top of Keira’s hat-covered head, who had long fallen asleep (and surprisingly had stay asleep through) since the house hunt began. Maribelle was carrying the baby in the sling, which Lissa offered to take over if Maribelle got tired, but she surprisingly hadn’t complained at all that day.

"I can’t believe she’s sleeping through all the excitement!" Lissa said. "But I guess it’s really not as exciting to her just yet."

"Just wait until you see the inside of the house, then you’ll really be excited," the realtor said, unlocking the door with a key. She pushed the door open and stepped inside into the surprisingly cool house, Lissa and Maribelle following, and Brady and Owain trailing behind.

They immediately found themselves in a living room that felt nearly as big as if their current living room, times two. That could have been because the room was bare, but to them, it seemed huge anyway.

"This may be considered a starter house, but it’s still got plenty of room, as you can see," the realtor began.

"This is the biggest house I’ve ever seen!" Owain exclaimed, nearly falling back as he spun around on his heels to look all around the room.

"It’s pretty nice," the realtor nodded. "The kitchen is just down that hallway. Oh, and if you look through there, there’s a secret little reading nook."

She was pointing just to the left, where they could all see the tiny gap. "That’s because the main bedroom and the little office connect, but left a gap. It’s turned a few people off of this house, but I actually really adore it."

"As do I," Maribelle said, walking over to it to get a closer look. Lissa followed her. "This is where you boys can do your school studying," she continued, already mentally visualizing how she would arrange the tiny space.

The boys both made faces at this, but since their mothers’ backs were turned, they didn’t see them. Maribelle turned back to the realtor. "You did say there was a tiny office too, yes?"

She nodded. "It’s on the other side of this little wall. I’ll give you a walkthrough of the rooms now."

She went around the corner to the wall, opening a door. "This is the main bedroom, I assume where you two will sleep."

"Wow, it’s like five times bigger than our old room!" Lissa said, as excited as a kid in a candy store, before her face dropped a bit. "Aw...our old room."

Anytime that day that the apartment had been mentioned, a moment of silence would break out, since so much of all of their lives had happened there. Maribelle lifted her hand to Lissa’s shoulder.

"It’s alright," she said gently, and Lissa nodded, getting over it a bit. "The move is going to be difficult, but it’s going to benefit us so much," Maribelle continued. "The children will have much more room to grow up and move around."

"That’s right," the realtor piped up. "It’s really a great house for a family your size. Now, if you’ll follow me, I can show you that little office you were asking about before."

She led them to a tinier room just adjacent to the bedroom, and Maribelle instantly fell in love, the gears in her head already turning on how she could arrange this little space to her heart’s content.

"It’s absolutely perfect," she gushed. "I can see it now. I’ll be turning this space into a home office in the next few years, once the children get a little older."

"It’s gonna be so perfect," Lissa agreed, wrapping an arm around Maribelle’s middle, mindful of the still sleeping baby.

"How about the rest of the house, or are you sold?" the realtor joked.

Lissa and Maribelle shared a look, before looking back to the realtor.

"I think we’re pretty much sold on it, but can you show us the rest, please?" Maribelle asked, and she nodded.

"Of course. Right through here is a multi-purpose room," she said, pushing the second door open, revealing a big, wide room. "The previous family had it as a den." The family filed in, excited looks on their faces as they saw the glory of the room.

"Maybe it could even a combination den and bedroom," the realtor suggested, watching as the members of the family looked around. The windows let in enough light for the day, and they could put lights for nighttime, but it seemed perfect already.

Maribelle nodded. "Maybe the boys can live in here, and just have a really big room. And she can still sleep in our room, for now."

"We still gotta share a room?" Owain asked, looking slightly disappointed at the news. Since the idea of moving had come up, he and Brady had been promised that they would possibly finally be getting rooms of their own.

"Maybe we can build it into two rooms in the future, or figure out how to get you both separate rooms," Lissa tried to assure him, and he brightened at the concept.

"Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty convinced this is the perfect new home for us," Maribelle said, coming back over to Lissa and grasping her hand. Lissa gave it a small squeeze, turning her head to nod at Maribelle.

"It’s amazing, but it’s going to be kind of sad moving. We had so many good times at that apartment," she said with another sigh, before beaming again. "But now we’ll get to have so many good times in this new house."

"That’s right," Maribelle said, leaning in to kiss her quickly. Once they were broken away, she heard a tiny noise, and looked down.

"Aw, decided to wake up and see what’s going on now, huh?" Lissa bent slightly to face the baby, reaching to the sling that Keira was wrapped in around Maribelle, and gently grasped one of the tiny hands sticking out from the top. "What do you think, Keira? Should this be our new house?"

Despite just waking up and actually having no idea what Lissa had asked, the baby gave her mom a little smile, and Lissa’s heart melted.

That was how they ultimately decided that this would be the perfect home for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m very happy with how this turned out and all the little loose ends got resolved~
> 
> There will be at least one more story in this series in the future, mainly about Keira and the family during her high school years. I’m not sure when that will actually be since I’m putting writing on the backburner for a bit because real life got a lot busier with graduating and having a full time job, but eventually, it’ll happen~
> 
> I do hope whoever read this story enjoyed it (and maybe the others in the series, as well). Thanks to everyone who supported it or gave it a chance, you guys are great!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So again, this idea/fic was spurred from a conversation on Tumblr with a friend about Brady and Owain being big siblings. We’ll get to know way more about this future character in the next chapter, which will hopefully be posted sooner than later (fanfiction is important, but school is a bit more important). Until then, hopefully this first chapter was enjoyable, and thanks for reading! c: Lemme know what you think, and what you think the baby might be~


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